Padlock



S. R. FRAIM Jan. 2, 1934.

PADLOGK Filed June 28, 1932 Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to certain improvements in padloks in which aspring acts as the means for retaining the shackle in the closedposition and in which the key changes are made by locating thelongitudinal grooves in the key and locating the stump in differentpositions.

One object of my invention isY to make the casing and cap plate of thelock as a die casting.

Another object of the invention is to make the mechanism within the lockof struck-up sheet metal.

AA further object of the invention is to locate the locking springin aspring housingI and to retain the locking spring in ,position betweenthe casing and a lip on thebridge-piece.

Astill further object of the invention isgto provide an abutment collarfor the coil spring which ejects the shackle from a split ring clampedin a groove in the shackle.

The inventionl also relates to other details of construction describedhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. .1 is aperspective .vieW'of myimproved padlock;

fFig.I 2 is a perspective View of one form of'key forthe lock showingone side;

Fig. 2a isa view of the other side ofthe key from that shownV in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the lock;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectionalplan view on-the line 5--5, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the key housing, which includes thebridge-piece vand back plate;

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the key bearing;

Fig. 9 is a detached view of the locking spring;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the blank bridge-piece before being bent intoshape;

Fig. 11 is a view of the back plate;

Fig. 12 is a detached perspective view of the shackle, the spring andtheabutment collar detached from the shackle; l

Fig. 13 is a detached perspective view of the casing;

Fig. 14 is a detached perspective view of the cap plate;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the blank of the key bearing before being bentinto shape;

Fig. 16 is a sectional View of a modication of the spring housing; and

Fig. 17 is a View of a modification of the means for retaining thespring in the housing.

4Referring to the drawing, 1 is the casing of (Cl. 'l0-108) the lock,Aand 2 is the cap plate. The casing and cap plate are die castings.

The casing 1 has an integral bottom, and has a reduced flange at theopen end which forms .a shoulder for the cap plate. v'This plate isreduced at the edge as shown at 4, and thevflange of the casing isturned upon the cap plate, permanently securing the plate to the casing.

Within the lock is a back plate 5, shown in detail in Fig. 11, whichextends the full depth of the lock, and this backV plate has two notches6 ateach edge for projections '7 on the-bridgepiece; 8,-Fig. 10,andgthese projections are peened over-the back plate so as to rigidlyhold the bridgef-piece to the back plate and form the housing for thelocking spring 9, which is shaped as shown in Fig 9. The spring is madeof flat metal and is U-shaped in form and has a shortarm 12 and a longarm 13. The loop 10 of the spring is enlarged and extends to one sideinthe present instance and is held against longitudinal move. ment bythe inner wall of the casing and a tongue 11 on the bridge-piece.

The-short arm 12 of the spring-rests against theportion 5a of the backplate V5, .and the long arm 13 of the spring is bent as shown in Fig. 9and is arranged to extend into anotch 14 in the shackle 15 land to lockthe shackle in the closed position.

The longarm `ofthe shackle is grooved at 16 to receive a split lring 17,which .is clamped firmly in the groove. On the long arm of the shackleis a coiled ejecting spring 18, lwhich is -located between the ring 1'7,which forms an abutment, and the upper platefof the bridgepiece, throughopenings in which the shackle extends. This Vspring is the ejectingspring for raising the shackle when released from the control of thelocking spring 9. The long arm of the shackle extends through an opening19 in the cap plate 2, and the short arm of the shackle extends throughan opening 20 in the said cap plate. The length of the short arm is suchthat, when the shackle is raised by the spring 18 and when the collar isin contact with the inner side of the cap plate, the end of the saidshort arm is above the cap plate, and the shackle can be turned so thatthe lock can be disengaged from the device to which-it is attached. Whenthe shackle is in the raised position, the lower end of the long armdoes not pass beyond the lower plate 21 of the bridge-piece. .When theshackle is turned so that the short arm is in line with the hole 20 inthe cap plate and the shackle pushed into the lock, the long arm will beengaged by the locking p tion.

spring and held in the locked position against the pressure of thecoiled spring 18.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 15, 23 is the key bearing. This key bearingis made from a blank shown in Fig. 15. The circular portion 24 or" thekey bearing ts an opening 25 in the bottom of the casing and rests on ashoulder 26. This circular portion has a key slot 27 and a projecticn28a iits the grooves 29a in the key shown in Fig. 2a. The projection canbe located at diierent points and the grooves in the key can also belocated in different positions to make a number of key changes. On theopposite side of the slot 27 in the present instance are two projections28 which iit in the grooves 29 of the key shown in Fig. 2. The circularportion 24 is connected by a neck 30a to the key guide 30, the blankbeing bent on the dotted lines, Fig. l5, so as to form the two walls ofthe guide shown in Figs. 7 and 8. On one of these side walls of the keyguide is a lug 31 which when the parts are assembled extends intothespace between the two plates 21 and 22 of the bridgepiece, and contactswith the walls 32 and 33 of the slot 34, through which the key bearingextends, and limits the movement of the key bearing. The reduced end 35of the key bearing extends through a circular opening 36 in the plate 22of the bridge-piece, which forms the inner support for the key bearing.On the other wall of the key bearing are two lugs 37 and 38 in thepresent instance which extend into the longitudinal groove 29a on oneside ol the key, and the position of these lugs can be changed tocorrespond with the location of the groove in the key to allow `foradditional key changes.

When the key is in position inthe key bearing, it can be turned to pressupon the long arm 13 of the spring to depress it, forcing the' arm outof the groove 14 in the long arm of the shackle, and as soon as theshackle is released the coiled spring projects it into the open posi- Inthe present instance a stump 39 is secured to the back plate andprojects into the path of the key when it is turned, and by notching thekey so that the stump will extend into one of the notches it allows thekey to turn to release the shackle. The stump can be located at anypoint on the plate below the bridgepiece to make additional key changes,and in some instances two or more stumps may be used if found desirable.lIhe projections 40 on the side walls of the key bearing rest upon thecircular portion 24 and act to rigidly support the key guide.

Bythe above description, it will be seen that the padlock can be madevery cheaply and substantially, as the casing and cap plate are diecastings and are very strong, and when the cap plate is secured to thecasing it is almost irnpossible to gain access to the interior of thelock by the ordinary means. The mechanism of the lock within the casingconsists of two parts, namely, the spring housing consisting of a backplate and bridge-piece which are rmly secured together, andthe keybearing. The locking spring is a comparatively heavy at spring which isof sulicient strength to prevent the withdrawal of the shackle by force,as it is conned between the upper and lower plates of the bridge-piece.The parts can be readily assembled as the plate of the spring housing tsagainst the back wall of the lock while the bridge-piece snugly fits thecurved end walls. This construction insures perfect alignment of thespring housing with the key bearing, and when the parts are assembledand the cap plate secured in position the parts are held firmly inplace. In order that the shackle may pass the locking spring withoutinserting the key in the key bearing when assembling the lock, the lowerend of the long arm of the shackle is beveled as at 41, so the beveledportion will push back the spring, allowing the long arm of the shackleto pass the spring and extend through the openings in both plates 21 and22.

A lock of this type cannot be readily picked, yet it is very simple inconstruction.

`While I have shown the spring housing made in two parts, namely, a backplate and a struckup member riveted thereto, in some instances thespring housing may be made as a single element, as shown in Fig. 16, theupper and lower sections ofthe back plate forming an integral part ofthe bridge-piece. f

While I have shown a tongue on the key housing to hold the spring inposition, the tonguebeing on the connecting member, the tongue may bestruck-up from either of the plates 2l or 22, or a separate piece may beeither riveted or welded to the key housing, or a rivet may be insertedas shown in Fig. 17, as I wish to claim any means on the key housing forretaining the locking spring in position.

I claim:

1. The combination in a padlock, of a casing; a shackle mounted in thecasing; a spring housing within the casing, consisting of a back plateand bridge-piece, the bridge-piece having perforated upper and lowerplates through which the shackle extends; a locking spring mounted inthe spring housing, the shackle being notched for the reception of theone arm of the spring; and a key bearing mounted between the bottom ofthe casing and the upper plate of the spring housing, and having guidesfor a key extending into the space between the upper and lower plates ofthe bridge-piece, the key when in position being guided substantiallyits full length by the key bearing, and when turned pressing upon thelocking spring and forcing the spring out of engagement with theshackle, the key bearing turning with the key and coming in contact withthe bridge piece, limiting the movement of said key.

2. The combination in a padlock, of a casing; cap plate; a shackleextending through the cap plate and into the casing; a back plate ttingagainst the back of the lock; a bridge-piece secured to the back plateand fitting against the front of the lock, the bridge-piece having twoplates spaced apart; alocking spring mounted in the space between thetwo plates, having a short and long arm connected by a loop, the shacklehaving a notch to receive the long arm of the locking spring; a springfor ejecting the shackle when releasedby the locking spring; a keybearing consisting of a formed sheet metal piece having a disk and keyguides, the disk of the key bearing rltting against the bottom of the ibearing portion and two horizontal portions spaced apart, and havingopenings for one arm of a shackle and for the key bearing; a U- shapedlocking spring located in the spring housing and having a short and longarm, the short arm of the spring bearing against the bearing portion ofthe back plate; and a shackle and a key bearing extending through thehorizontal portions of the housing and engageable by the long arm of thespring.

4. The combination in a padlock, of a spring housing consisting of aback plate extending the full length of the lock and having a springbearing portion; a bent sheet metal bridge piece having two horizontalportions spaced apart by a connecting member, said bridge piece beingsecured to the plate and forming a spring housing; a U-shaped lockingspring located in the housing having short and long arms, the short armof the spring bearing against the bearing portion of the back plate; anda shackle located so as to be engaged by the long arm of the spring.

5. A key bearing for a padlock made from a blank bent into shape andconsisting of a circular portion adapted to t the key opening in thecasing of a lock, and having two Walls forming a key guide, saidcircular portion being slotted and having projections to enter thegrooves in the key, one of the Walls of the key guide having aprojection which limits the rotary movement of the key guide, the otherWall having a projection arranged to extend into one of the grooves in akey.

6. The combination in a padlock, of a casing; a spring housing locatedWithin the casing; a shackle having a long and a short arm, the long armbeing notched; a U-shaped locking spring located in the housing having along and a short arm, the long arm engaging the notched portion of thelong arm of the shackle, the short arm bearing against the springhousing, the looped portion of the spring bearing against the inner Wallof the casing; and means on the spring housing for retaining the springagainst the casing.

7. The combination in a padlock, of a casing; a shackle; a lockingspring for the shackle; a housing in which the spring is located; a keybearing in the casing, the inner end of the key bearing extending intothe spring housing, the key housing having stops to limit the rotativemovement of the key bearing, the key bearing being open at one side toallow the key to engage the locking spring to release the shackle.

8. The combination in a padlock, of a casing; a shackle; a U-shapedlocking spring; a housing in which the spring is located, said housinghaving openings for a key bearing; a key bearing in the casing, theinner end of the key bearing extending through the openings in thehousing, the key bearing having Walls forming a guide for a key, oneWall having a projecting portion to limit the rotative movement of thekey bearing in the housing.

9. The combination in a padlock, of a casing; a housing for a lockingspring; a shackle having an arm extending into the casing and throughthe said housing; a U-shaped locking spring of flat metal arranged toengage the arm of the shackle, the loop of the spring being enlarged andextended to one side to t against the inner Wall of the casing, thespring housing having means bearing against the loop of the spring rmlyholding the spring against the casing; and a key bearing in the casingfor a key Which when inserted therein Will engage the locking spring.

SAMUEL R. FRAIM.

